Calibrachoa plant named ‘SAKCAL107’

ABSTRACT

A  Calibrachoa  plant particularly distinguished by having a yellow flower color and a compact plant growth habit, is disclosed.

Genus and species: Calibrachoa spp.

Variety denomination: ‘SAKCAL107’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct variety of Calibrachoa plant, botanically known as Calibrachoa spp., and referred to by the variety name ‘SAKCAL107’. ‘SAKCAL107’ originated from a hybridization in Kakegawa, Japan in 2008 between the female Calibrachoa line ‘7-1A’, an unpatented proprietary hybrid Calibrachoa breeding line having a scarlet red flower color and mounding growth habit and the male Calibrachoa line ‘6dw-54A-2’, an unpatented proprietary hybrid Calibrachoa breeding line with a yellow flower color and compact growth habit.

In November 2008, the female parent line ‘7-1A’ and the male parent line ‘6dw-54A-2’ were crossed and 200 seeds were obtained. In February 2008, the F₁ seed were sown in a greenhouse, cultivated, and plant lines were produced with flower colors of yellow, rose, and purple having a compact and mounding growth habit. Two plant lines were selected within the F₁ plants that had yellow and purple flowers and a compact growth habit. The two F₁ plant lines were intercrossed and 900 seeds were obtained.

In July 2008, 600 seeds were sown in the greenhouse, cultivated, and plant lines were produced with flower colors of rosy red, yellow, purple, and brown and a compact growth habit. A single plant was selected that had a yellow flower color and a compact growth habit and designated ‘K2009-088’.

In February 2009, ‘K2009-088’ was vegetatively propagated, cultivated, and evaluated. In April 2009, ‘K2009-088’ was confirmed to be fixed and stable. ‘K2009-088’ was further propagated and cultivated to reconfirm the line's stability. ‘K2009-088’ was subsequently designated ‘SAKCAL107’ and found to have its unique characteristics reproduce true to type in successive generations of asexual vegetative propagation via vegetative cuttings.

SUMMARY

The following are the most outstanding and distinguishing characteristics of this new variety when grown under normal horticultural practices in Salinas, Calif.

-   -   1. Yellow flower color; and     -   2. A compact plant growth habit.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

This Calibrachoa plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographs which show the plant's overall plant habit including form, foliage, and flowers. The photographs are of a four-month-old plant grown in Salinas, Calif. under greenhouse conditions in the summer of 2012. The colors shown are as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures.

FIG. 1 shows the overall plant habit of the plant grown in a pot.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the mature inflorescence of the plant.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctive characteristics of ‘SAKCAL107’. The data which define these characteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out in Salinas, Calif. Data was collected on four-month-old plants grown under greenhouse conditions in Salinas, Calif. in the summer of 2012. Color references are to The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London (R.H.S.), 4^(th) edition (2001).

-   Classification:     -   -   Family.—Solanaceae.         -   Botanical.—Calibrachoa spp.         -   Common.—Calibrachoa.         -   Designation.—‘SAKCAL107’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary hybrid Calibrachoa line ‘7-1A’             (unpatented).         -   Male parent.—Proprietary hybrid Calibrachoa line ‘6dw-54A-2’             (unpatented). -   Growth:     -   -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About 6 weeks.         -   Environmental conditions for plant growth.—The terminal 1.0             to 1.5 inches of an actively growing stem was excised. The             vegetative cuttings were propagated in five to six weeks.             The base of the cuttings were dipped for 1 to 2 seconds in a             1:9 solution of Dip N Grow (1 solution: 9 water) root             inducing solution immediately prior to sticking into the             cell trays. Cuttings were stuck into plastic cell trays             having 98 cells, and containing a moistened peat moss-based             growing medium. The cuttings were misted with water from             overhead for 10 seconds every 30 minutes until sufficient             roots were formed. Rooted cuttings were transplanted and             grown in 20-cm diameter plastic pots in a glass greenhouse             located in Salinas, California. Pots contained a peat             moss-based growing medium. Soluble fertilizer containing 20%             nitrogen, 10% phosphorus and 20% potassium was applied once             a day or every other day by overhead irrigation. Pots were             top-dressed with a dry, slow release fertilizer containing             20% nitrogen, 10% phosphorus and 18% potassium. The typical             average air temperature was 24° C. -   Plant description:     -   -   Habit and form.—Compact and branching.         -   Life cycle.—Tender perennial.         -   Height (from soil line to top of foliage).—10.0 cm.         -   Spread.—28.0 cm.         -   Flowering requirements.—Will flower so long as day length is             greater than 12 hours and temperature is above 13° C.         -   Temperature tolerances.—Excellent resistance to rain, heat,             and drought. Plants will not tolerate temperatures below 10°             C. -   Stems:     -   -   General description.—Circular in cross-section; dull in             appearance.         -   Stem length.—8.0 cm.         -   Diameter.—0.12 cm.         -   Internode length (average).—0.5 cm.         -   Color.—RHS 145A (Yellow-Green).         -   Pubescence.—Heavy; pubescence is RHS N155A (White).         -   Anthocyanin color.—Absent. -   Leaves:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate.         -   Shape.—Elliptic.         -   Apex.—Obtuse.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Surface appearance (both surfaces).—Dull.         -   Surface pubescence (both surfaces).—Slightly pubescent;             pubescence is RHS N155A (White).         -   Length.—2.4 cm.         -   Width.—0.7 cm.         -   Color.—Upper surface: RHS 138A (Green). Lower surface: RHS             138B (Green).         -   Venation.—Pinnate.         -   Petiole.—Absent; decurrent leaf attachment.         -   Fragrance.—Absent. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Inflorescence type.—Solitary.         -   Flowering habit.—Indeterminate.         -   Time to bloom from propagation.—10 weeks.         -   Lastingness of individual blooms on the plant.—5 days.         -   Fragrance.—Absent. -   Flower bud:     -   -   Surface texture.—Pubescent.         -   Length.—2.8 cm.         -   Diameter.—0.5 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Color.—RHS 4A (Yellow) with RHS 143C (Green) veins. -   Peduncle:     -   -   Length.—0.8 cm.         -   Diameter.—0.1 cm.         -   Color.—RHS 145B (Yellow-Green).         -   Surface appearance and texture.—Dull with heavy pubescence;             pubescence color is RHS N155A (White). -   Corolla:     -   -   Shape.—Composed of five, fused petals to create a             funnel-shaped flower with five fissures and a shallow, yet             prominent, indentation of the petal tip at the midvein.         -   Flower diameter.—3.0 cm.         -   Flower depth.—0.3 cm.         -   Petals.—Shape: Bilabiate. Apex: Truncate. Base: Fused.             Margin: Entire. Surface texture (both surfaces): Glabrous.             Length: 1.0 cm. Width: 1.5 cm. Color: Upper surface: Closest             to RHS 12A (Yellow). Lower surface: Closest to RHS 12C             (Yellow) with RHS 143C (Green) midvein.         -   Corolla tube.—Length: 1.5 cm. Diameter: 0.5 cm. Color: Inner             surface: RHS 12A (Yellow). Outer surface: Closest to RHS 12C             (Yellow). -   Calyx:     -   -   Arrangement.—Composed of 5 sepals, free.         -   Sepals.—Shape: Elliptical. Apex: Obtuse. Margin: Entire.             Color (both surfaces): RHS 144A (Yellow-Green). Length:             0.8 cm. Diameter: 0.2 cm. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Stamen number.—5.         -   Stamen color.—RHS 154D (Yellow-Green).         -   Stamen form.—Free.         -   Pollen color.—RHS 10B (Yellow).         -   Pollen amount.—Abundant.         -   Ovary.—Superior.         -   Placental arrangement.—Central.         -   Pistil number.—1 (per inflorescence).         -   Pistil length.—0.8 cm.         -   Stigma color.—RHS 11A (Yellow).         -   Style length.—0.7 cm.         -   Style color.—RHS 154D (Yellow-Green).         -   Seed production.—Absent. -   Disease and insect resistance: Plants are susceptible to Botrytis,     powdery mildew, various stem and root rots, and certain viruses,     such as Tobacco Mosaic Virus and Impatiens Necrotic Spotted Virus.     Plants can be infested with aphids, leafminers, whitefly, and     various Lepidoptera.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTAL LINES AND KNOWN VARIETY

‘SAKCAL107’ is a new and unique variety of Calibrachoa owing to its yellow flower color, and compact plant growth habit. ‘SAKCAL107’ is distinguished from its parents mainly by flower color as shown in Table 1 below:

TABLE 1 Comparison with Parental Lines Female Parent Male Parent Characteristic ‘SAKCAL107’ ‘71-A’ ‘6dw-54A-2’ Flower color Yellow Scarlet red Yellow Plant growth Compact; more Mounding More compact than habit vigorous than ‘SAKCAL107’; weak ‘6dw-54A-2’; not under excess water weak under excess conditions water conditions

‘SAKCAL107’ is a new and unique variety of Calibrachoa owing to its yellow flower color and a compact plant growth habit. ‘SAKCAL107’ is most similar to the commercial Calibrachoa variety ‘USCAL53002’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,660), commercially known as SUPERBALLS® ‘Yellow’; however there are differences as described in Table 2 below.

TABLE 2 Comparison with Similar Variety Characteristic ‘SAKCAL107’ ‘USCAL53002’ Flower petal color, Closest to RHS 12A Close to RHS 13B upper surface (Yellow) (Yellow), color becoming closer to RHS 12C with development Flower petal color, Closest to RHS 12C Close to RHS 5D lower surface (Yellow) with RHS 143C (Yellow) (Green) at midvein Flower diameter 3.0 cm 3.2 cm Plant growth habit Compact Semi-upright 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Calibrachoa plant as shown and described herein. 